Giving Thanks for the Thorns

 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.       ----2 Corinthians 12:9-10 

What a joy to gather around our tables this Thanksgiving day to enjoy good fellowship, good food and most importantly to give thanks for the abundant blessings the Lord has poured out on us this past year.  A tradition of many is to allow each person around the table to take time to list what she/he is grateful.  These times can be contemplative and sometimes emotional as we think upon the many ways God has moved in our lives recently.  Even last night at a pre-Thanksgiving meal my heart was moved by the thanksgiving made by Sarah, a beautiful young single mom who chose life and has been blessed by a precious son, Jack, and now has found life in her new relationship with Christ a few months ago.  Two years ago the world seemed to be collapsing around her but through God’s grace and mercy she is now experiencing the abundance our Lord has promised.

Yes, God’s grace is sufficient as He reminded Paul during his time of deepest trials. It is during those darkest moments of life, those torturous thorns and infirmities that life sometimes gives us, that we can truly see the grace and power and faithfulness of our loving God and Savior.  Except for the thorns of life we would not be shaken from our own self-sufficiencies and weaknesses and come to understand that our sufficiency comes from Christ and Christ alone.  Only through the pain and the confession of our weaknesses can we hear the great promise, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness," and then turn our thorns into a matter of thanksgiving as the apostle Paul proclaimed with a grateful heart, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

This Thanksgiving as we take time to thank God for all the “good” things that He has so graciously blessed us with, let us not forget to also thank Him also for the thorns by which He revealed His strength and sufficiency.  To God be the glory!

God bless and Happy Thanksgiving